Jaina's Hungover Morning
by NarundiJedi
Summary: NOW COMPLETE! The Sequel to Jaina's Drunken Night! Jag Fel comes back from his trip, and much mayhem ensues! Will Jaina regret getting drunk?
1. Strange Dreams

The great hall of the jedi temple on N'aanwaria was decked out in shimmering banners of pearl and silver. The inside, which had been gutted by fire, was now restored to its previous splendor. As Brodey entered through an archway in the front he felt literally a thousand sets of eyes all gazing at him. The room was packed and he was the center of attention.   
  
He looked at the front of the congregation, immediately catching a glimpse of Kyp Durron. The jedi master beamed proudly back at him and Brodey couldn't help but be confused.   
  
'What is he smiling about?' Brodey wondered. 'Am I the only one here that doesn't know what's going on?'   
  
Next to Kyp sat Jagged Fel. The colonel wore a similar expression to Kyp's causing Brodey to do a double take. Was this the same Jag he was seeing?   
  
Thoroughly confused, Brodey continued to have a look around. He saw many old friends from his childhood and even some relatives. His grandfathers were there, arguing with each other as always.   
  
'Some things never change,' Brodey thought, smiling slightly.   
  
Brodey's heart leapt into his throat as his eyes came to rest upon his mother's face. She wore her finest silver dress and was still every bit as stunning as he remembered her. He noted that she looked a bit older than he remembered her, and that her hair was cut almost boyishly short. However, she still looked at him with the same love-filled eyes that she always had when he was growing up. He mouthed the words "I love you" at her and she responded by dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and saying "I love you too".   
  
A procession began and Brodey turned to see a teenaged girl who looked strikingly like his sister walk up the aisle carrying a bouquet. Then it finally dawned on him. This was a wedding, and not just any wedding. It was his wedding.   
  
Brodey glanced to his side, totally in shock, and he thought he was about ready to have a heart attack when he saw his father standing there. He was dead. Brodey knew that because he'd seen him die.   
  
'Did you really?' Brodey asked himself. 'You thought you felt all the others die as well, yet they're all here. Your mother's here, your brothers and sister, and your grandparents. All are present.'   
  
The revelation filled Brodey with shock and utter jubilation. Could his parents and siblings possibly all be alive? He continued to look over to his father as Noaa'lan Narundi turned his blue-eyed gaze on his son.   
  
'Not having second thoughts, are you?' Noaa'lan asked.   
  
'No, I don't think so," Brodey replied, not at all sure who he was marrying or what he was getting himself into.   
  
'Good, because she's right here, ready to take your hand.'   
  
Brodey turned back to his bride, who was covered from head to toe in pure ivory and pearl fabric. Her gown was simply breathtaking, and he hoped upon hope that so was she. He stared at her, trying to see her face through the veil as he felt her small hand reach out and clasp his.   
  
"Before we begin the ceremony, why don't you check and see if this is truly the bride you wish to take as your own," The master of ceremonies stated.   
  
Brodey reached out to lift up the veil. He had almost revealed her face when he felt a sharp pain explode in his side.

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	2. The Girl Behind the Veil

"Ouch!" He yelped, his eyes opening to meet the olive gaze of Kyp Durron. Despair filled him as the inside of Jaina's living room came into focus.   
  
"Did you just kick me?" Brodey cried in annoyance.   
  
"Maybe. Get up," Kyp said sternly.   
  
"Not a chance," Brodey muttered defiantly, flopping back against the pillows and turning his back on his master.   
  
"If you don't want a good kidney shot right now, you might want to reconsider," Kyp stated menacingly. "Everybody else is up already."   
  
Brodey flopped back onto his other side, dropping his bare feet to the floor as he pushed himself upright.   
  
"That's not the reason why you kicked me, was it?" Brodey observed, sensing that Kyp's displeasure stemmed from something not quite so superficial.   
  
"You were talking in your sleep. Rather loudly, in fact," Kyp said with a sneer.   
  
"What was I saying?" Brodey asked, the events from his dream abruptly rushing back into his head.   
  
"Something about a wedding, and you said you loved someone," Kyp replied with a shrug. "I really was afraid you were going to wake up Jaina."   
  
"Ah, so she isn't awake," Brodey said, raising his voice slightly. "You woke me up, prevented me from discovering the identity of my bride, all because you were afraid I'd wake up a drunk?"   
  
"Take it easy, Brodey!" Kyp whispered, his voice taking on a softer edge. "It was only a dream."   
  
"That's what you think," Brodey hissed crossly. "I never dream. I have visions, either of the past or of the future. What I saw was real, or rather, it will be."   
  
"Oh," Kyp muttered, and then he just stood there silently with his mouth open. He looked like he was searching for something encouraging to tell Brodey, and he finally found it. "At least you know you won't always be single."   
  
"Ha ha," Brodey laughed sarcastically. "The really freaky thing was that, in the vision, my family was still alive!"   
  
Kyp paused for a second, pondering what Brodey had just told him. Kyp knew first-hand that the dark side could be deceiving, and he wondered if Brodey's family was only made to look dead.   
  
"Are you sure you saw them dead?" Kyp asked.   
  
"I thought I was sure. The place inside where I used to feel their presence is totally empty," He replied, looking unsure.   
  
"You don't think that could be faked, do you?"   
  
"It would take a jedi master of considerable pow – oh, I'm an idiot!" Brodey exclaimed.   
  
"Why?" Kyp asked inquisitively.   
  
"It all makes sense now!" Brodey cried, jumping up from the couch to pace around the room. "My uncle, a formidable dark jedi, is blocking me from coming in contact with my family. He's the one that faked their deaths. He just wanted everybody out of the way, not dead."   
  
"Really considerate of him," Kyp jested, rolling his eyes.   
  
"Guys," Called a weak voice. "Can you maybe bring it down a notch? My head is pounding."   
  
"Told you she was going to wake up," Kyp reprimanded, his green eyes flashing with displeasure.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	3. Tale of the Previous Night

"Jaina!" Brodey exclaimed, rushing over to help her into a chair. Kyp looked suspiciously at the two of them, wondering what could have prompted Brodey's concern for the girl. "Do you want me to get you some juice? Anything?"   
  
"Yeah, some juice would be nice," Jaina rasped, moving her tongue around her mouth as she tried to gather enough spit. "And I wouldn't mind an analgesic either!"   
  
"So," Kyp began slowly. "Was everything uneventful after I left last night?"   
  
Brodey jumped in shock, almost spilling the container of juice onto the floor of Jaina's kitchenette. Was Kyp already suspicious of him? Could the jedi master sense his thoughts so keenly that he already knew what happened?   
  
"Things obviously went all right," Brodey replied haughtily, hoping he could steer Kyp away from prying further into the details of the previous night. "She's still alive and well."   
  
"Well!" Jaina groaned irately. "I'm not so sure you could classify wanting to cut your own head off as 'well'. Speak for yourself!"   
  
"You'll live," Brodey snapped, handing her the glass of juice.   
  
"I don't even remember half of what happened after I got sick," Jaina whined, taking a small sip from the glass and swishing it around in her mouth. "Can you fill me in on the details?"   
  
"Ok," Brodey said, gulping a bit. He secretly hoped that she forgot all the events surrounding their kiss. "What's the last thing you remember?"   
  
"Well, I remember bits and pieces of things, really," Jaina said, concentrating hard. "I recall seeing you sticking your legs in the shower. I think I cried for a bit, because I was missing Jag and my brothers. I also remember you telling me some ridiculous story about you being a prince, a murderer, and wanted by bounty hunters!"   
  
Jaina managed a small chuckle at this thought, in spite of her condition. Brodey smiled slightly and turned to Kyp, who was staring attentively at him.   
  
"I think you also mentioned something about a modeling career?" Jaina asked, still laughing. "Oh! And you serenaded me when I was trying to pee!"   
  
Kyp's eyes bugged out of their sockets and nearly bore a hole through Brodey, who grinned back widely and shrugged.   
  
"Lets see, what else was there that happened?" Jaina asked herself, racking her brain for any information she could find.   
  
"Sounds like a pretty fun night so far," Kyp muttered, his voice sounding tense and reproachful.   
  
"Oh, it was a total blast," Brodey joked sarcastically. "I just love spending all night taking care of drunk people and cleaning up boot stains."   
  
"I'm sorry, you guys," Jaina said softly, sticking her lower lip out a bit to show her regret. "I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble."   
  
"Jaina, it really wasn't that much trouble," Brodey insisted. "I was just joking around. You're worth all the trouble we went through. Believe me."   
  
"Oh Sith!" Jaina cursed, her eyes suddenly going wide. "Brodey, we didn't kiss each other last night, did we?"   
  
"Yes Jaina," Brodey said, his mouth suddenly going dry. "We did."   
  
"What?"   
  
The exclamation reverberated through the room, sending a chill down Brodey's spine.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	4. Big Fight

Jagged Fel stood frozen in place at the room's entrance. He'd entered with jedi-like silence, probably looking to surprise Jaina. Brodey could tell even without the force that every muscle in his body was coiled and ready to strike at a moment's notice.   
  
"Narundi, perhaps I'm a little hard of hearing," He said, his voice quavering with what was undoubtedly fury. "Would you mind repeating that?"   
  
Brodey started to answer but Jaina interjected, trying to plead with Jag. He listened in horror as she inadvertently sealed his fate.   
  
"Jag, he didn't mean it! Right? I was drunk, and I was the one who kissed him! At least I think I was," She rambled quickly.   
  
"Oh," Jag growled, turning his poisonous gaze back on Brodey. "I see you've been productive while I was gone. Twelve standard hours and you're already moving in on my girlfriend. Quite impressive, for certain."   
  
Brodey sensed Jag ball his hand into a fist, recognizing just how much Jag itched to use it right then. As Brodey felt Jag discard all restraint he instinctively moved his arm up to block the right hook. Agony burst from the center of his face as Jag's sucker punch hit its mark. Brodey could hear and feel a disgusting crack as his nose shattered from the force of the blow.   
  
"Let that be a lesson to you, Narundi," Jag said in a soft yet hostile tone. "Next time you get Jaina drunk and take advantage of her I'll come at you with more than just my fists. That's a promise."   
  
Brodey glared back at him over the top of his sleeve which he'd been using to hold back the blood that was cascading from both nostrils. He was furious; at Jag because he acted despite his ignorance of the situation, at Kyp for leaping to conclusions, and at himself for agreeing to take care of Jaina in the first place.   
  
"Jag, Brodey had absolutely no roll in getting Jaina drunk. She did that perfectly well all by herself," Kyp explained, finally looking remotely sympathetic toward Brodey.   
  
"Why would she go and do something like that?" Jag asked in shock.   
  
Kyp went on to tell the entire story. He told Jag about how Jaina drank herself into a stupor over his absence and threw up all over Brodey's boots. He mentioned how unstable she'd been all evening, and how she was probably capable of anything, including kissing a man that wasn't her boyfriend.   
  
"Jaina, is this what happened?" Jag asked with concern.   
  
"I'm pretty sure it is, from what I can recall," Jaina replied, massaging her throbbing temples. "Brodey, did I kiss you first?"   
  
"Of course you did!" Brodey muttered, his voice sounding muffled through his sleeve. He winced as the vibrations from his speech traveled through his arm and sent a new wave of pain through his nose. "I wouldn't even think of kissing her first," He said, raising his voice as he turned to look darkly at Jag. "I may not be the most decent of people, but I do respect what the two of you have."   
  
"Why should I believe you?" Jag asked bitterly, still seething.   
  
"Because everyone only gets one good shot at me," Brodey threatened as razor sharp claws extended from his fingertips.   
  
"That's enough," Kyp said, staring daggers at them as he stepped in to separate the two young men. "I like you both too much to have you kill each other over something this stupid. Jag, I believe that Brodey is telling the truth. He has proven himself trustworthy and I know he'd never lie about this sort of thing. Can you trust my judgment?"   
  
"I suppose," Jag conceded, still frowning at his taller adversary. "That still doesn't change the fact that he needed to be taken down a peg."   
  
"Fel!" Kyp barked. "I believe you have a girlfriend here in this room. Why don't you act like it?"   
  
Jag instantaneously forgot all about his fight with Brodey, rushing over to give Jaina all the love and attention she'd needed the previous night. It wasn't long before the two disappeared to a place where they could talk in private, leaving Brodey and Kyp alone in the living room.   
  
"How's the nose?" Kyp asked as Brodey sniffed, desperately trying to stop the flow of blood.   
  
"Broken," He replied. "It wasn't that bad of a shot. He's quick."   
  
"He's also quick to judge, unfortunately for you," Kyp added.   
  
"It's more unfortunate for my clothes!" Brodey cried in anguish, examining the bloodstain on his sleeve. "My wardrobe seems destined for great peril lately."   
  
"Speaking of great peril, you may want to avoid contact with Jag for a while," Kyp warned, heading into the kitchenette to get Brodey some ice for his swelling face. "Things just got a little too heated for a bit there."   
  
"I'm not afraid of him," Brodey muttered defiantly.   
  
"I don't care what you're afraid of. Just stay away from him," Kyp ordered, shoving the icepack at him.   
  
Brodey collapsed onto the couch, pressing the ice against his face as best he could. He couldn't help but laugh in spite of himself.   
  
"What's so funny?" Kyp asked seriously.   
  
"Ah, nothing," Brodey chuckled. "I was just thinking about that dream I had. I can't help but think about what you said."   
  
"What, that your dream was erroneous at best?" Kyp joked.   
  
"No, about me not ending up single," Brodey said. "Even though I'm sitting here, a loser with a broken nose, I'm happy because I know it won't always be that way."   
  
"Yeah, broken noses do have a tendency to heal."   
  
"Shut it, Durron!" He cried.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	5. Premonitions

Kyp threw back his head and laughed, pleased that he'd managed to rub Brodey the wrong way. The young man was so overly sensitive when it came to some topics. Kyp figured it was his duty to desensitize him.   
  
"It's not that funny!" Brodey yelled, taking the ice pack off his badly bruised face to glower at Kyp. "I don't poke fun at your shortcomings."   
  
"That's because I don't have any," Kyp declared, smiling smugly.   
  
"I'm not sure who has the larger ego problem here," Brodey sighed, shaking his head. "You've had the same luck as I have with women and yet we both have egos a parsec wide."   
  
"That's because I'm comfortable not being in a romantic relationship right now. I prefer playing the field to settling down for a few months with the first girl I dub as 'the one'," Kyp said, staring intently at his apprentice. "Your problem is that you're trying to hurry things way too much."   
  
"I can't help it!" Brodey exclaimed, placing the ice back on his nose. "Do you realize that, at the age of nineteen, I've never even had a girlfriend yet?"   
  
"Not all that uncommon, especially with all the things you've been through in the past few years," Kyp answered.   
  
"If I was still living back at home I'd be well into the process of choosing a suitor. My father would see to it that I started early, just so I could make up my mind by the time my twenty-third birthday rolled around."   
  
"Ah, so what you're saying is that it's also a race against a cultural clock," Kyp said, sitting down on the couch across from Brodey.   
  
"Precisely," Brodey said. "I feel a lot better after seeing a vision of my future."   
  
"I still don't know how you're so sure it's a vision. Why couldn't it just be that you were tired from staying up with Jaina? Dreams are the mind's way of healing itself."   
  
"I told you, I don't dream. Ever," Brodey said adamantly. "You want an example of a prediction I've made? When I was sixteen years old I almost died in a vortex skiing accident. I was in a competition and I missed a trick. The result was many broken bones and the avulsion of my left arm."   
  
"I was wondering how you got that prosthesis," Kyp interrupted.   
  
"I'm not done yet," Brodey said crossly. "I had a dream about the accident before it happened but I didn't do anything to prevent it because I was thick-headed and on spice back then. Regardless, I still predicted it."   
  
"Fine, I believe you," Kyp sighed, giving in. "Congratulations on your future wedding."   
  
"Thanks," Brodey said, smirking slightly. He leaned back against the cushions, trying to replay the events of the dream in his head. He was hungry for any clues that might lead him to the identity of his future bride. After going over it a bit, something caught his eye.   
  
"Fel's in my dream," Brodey muttered. "The weird thing is that he seems happy for me."   
  
"Maybe you and Jag will resolve your differences at some point," Kyp insinuated.   
  
"I guess it's possible," Brodey said with a shrug. "You were there, sitting next to him, and it looks like Jaina's on his other side."   
  
"Of course."   
  
"You don't think it was her?" Brodey asked, sensing the hint of doubt in Kyp's voice.   
  
"You didn't actually see her there, you assumed," Kyp replied. "I was just calling you on it."   
  
"Well, who else could it be?" Brodey cried. "I mean, they're pretty much married already!"   
  
"I'm not saying it wasn't! I'm just saying that you don't know for certain."   
  
"Oh," Brodey said softly. He slowly got to his feet and stretched. "I should go now before Captain Perfect comes back out and decides he wants to use me for target practice."   
  
"Colonel," Kyp reminded him, his voice reproachful.   
  
"Whatever," Brodey mumbled, shrugging his shoulders again. "I've a lot of things I need to take care of in the hangar."   
  
Kyp watched him grab his belongings and leave, shaking his head as he heard the door slam.   
  
"I hope you and Jag do end up working things out," Kyp whispered, "Because I don't know how much more of this I can take."

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	6. Kiss and Make Up

"Why did you leave yesterday, without even telling me where you were going?" Jaina said, raising her voice as she closed the door to her bedroom that had previously been cracked open. The argument had been escalating over the past few minutes and the two had gone from kissing and hugging to staring coldly at each other.   
  
"Didn't you get my message?" Jag asked, raising his voice to match hers.   
  
"What message?" Jaina cried, gesturing wildly.   
  
"The one I sent you over the comm. Please don't tell me you didn't receive it!" Jag cried in exasperation, gripping the edge of the mattress on which he sat.   
  
"Oh, that," Jaina said, immediately subdued. "I heard it go off but I didn't stay up to answer it. I think Brodey must have."   
  
"No wonder you didn't get my message," Jag scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Narundi would never want you to know I still cared about you. No doubt he erased the message right after he saw it."   
  
"Stop blaming him for everything!" Jaina retorted. "I was barely up for two minutes before you got back. We were talking about other things, like what I did last night, and there really wasn't any time for him to tell me about the message. Besides, he's NOT trying to steal me away from you!"   
  
"What proof do you have? Do you remember enough about last night to give me an accurate description of his emotions when you kissed him?"   
  
"I remember that he pushed me away, insisting that it was wrong because I was with you," Jaina said evenly.   
  
"Oh," Muttered Jag as he looked down at his feet.   
  
"Look, what you and I have is special, and he realizes that. If I was physically capable of breaking up the fight earlier, I would have. Promise me you'll try to be nicer to him in the future," Jaina whispered, sitting next to Jag on the bed and taking his face in her hands.   
  
"Ok, I promise," Jag said with a small smile. "Since when did you start sticking up for Brodey?"   
  
"Since he helped me through last night," Jaina answered back. "He told me not to get so upset, since you were coming back."   
  
"Well, he was right," Jag said, grinning as he craned his neck to gently kiss her lips. "I would never abandon you. I'd find some way to come back."   
  
"You would, even if your orders sent you elsewhere?" Jaina questioned.   
  
"You bet."   
  
"Kyp and your uncle are a bad influence on you, Fel," Jaina commented, shaking her head and clucking her tongue. "They're turning you into quite the rogue."   
  
"I don't think they can take all the credit for that," Jag murmured, trailing kisses down her neck.   
  
"Oh," She simply responded, closing her eyes as she succumbed to his touch.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	7. A New Friend

Brodey made his way through the dark corridors of Eclipse's underbelly toward the hangar where his ship, the Stingray, was docked. He tried to ignore the strange looks he was getting due to his swollen face but nearly everyone who passed him seemed to gawk. The funniest response he received was from Corran Horn, who looked at him with a mixture of derision and bemusement. Brodey flashed the nosey jedi his brightest smile and continued on his way.   
  
Before the debacle that was the previous night, Brodey had heard news that the parts he'd ordered had arrived. He was more than eager to begin repairing the ship that had been his life for the past two years. He also wanted to forget the kiss he'd shared with Jaina but it kept nagging him in the back of his mind. He needed clarity, and that could only be found when he was squeezed under the hull of his ship, tinkering with machinery.   
  
Brodey frowned as he entered the dimly lit storage place and eyed the scorch marks that peppered the once-sleek fuselage of his ship. She was going to need a lot of work.   
The next hour or so came and went without notice. Many things went on around him but he tuned them out for the most part, concentrating deeply on the repairs he needed to make.   
  
"Nice ship you got there," a voice said. Brodey's head jerked up from the sound and a new wave of pain shot through his nose as he bashed it against the hull.   
  
"Arrrrggh," He groaned. "Thanks."   
  
"Are you ok?" The distinctly female voice giggled as she poked her head under to look at him. He was certain he heard her gasp when she saw his face. "That must have been some hit! You bruise easily!"   
  
"I'm fine," He insisted, crawling out from beneath the ship. "The broken nose is from a previous encounter."   
  
"Piss off a wookie?" She asked jokingly.   
  
"Well, it all depends on how you look at it," He answered, grinning at the thought of calling Jag a wookie.   
  
He finally lifted his head to get a good look at the woman. She was on the short side, not much taller than Jaina, and dressed in well-worn smuggler's clothes. Her long mane of light brown hair fell loosely down her back and along her front. His eyes finished surveying her womanly figure and tanned skin and traveled upward to meet her gaze. If her figure was amazing, her face was simply astonishing. He almond-shaped russet eyes flickered with amusement and her full lips smiled flirtatiously at him.   
  
"So, this beautiful hunk of bolts is yours?" She asked.   
  
"Yep, all mine."   
  
"Sheesh, you must be rich!" She cried, walking around to look at the ship from a different angle. "I've seen some pretty impressive ships in my day, but never one quite like this. She must have cost a fortune!"   
  
"I had connections," Brodey said cryptically.   
  
"Oh, I see," She drawled. He was surprised at her reaction, since she obviously took him for a petty thief or criminal but wasn't judgmental. She only seemed amused, and he caught a flicker of mischief in her large eyes. "Need any help with her?"   
  
"Sure, I could use some. Didn't catch your name though," Brodey said.   
  
"That's because I didn't throw it at you," She answered, chuckling at his comment as she extended a hand to him. "Name's Anja. Anja Gallandro. And you?"   
  
"Brodaeus T'naa'lichi Narundi, nice to meet you," He said, reaching out to shake her hand firmly. "Don't bother trying to pronounce all of that. Just call me Brodey."   
  
"Ok Brodey, what do you say we get started on this?" She laughed.   
  
"Deal."

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	8. Flirting

The two worked on the ship for a while, chattering loudly about their past exploits and what they'd done since the Yuuzhan Vong had arrived.   
  
"I'm here because my boss sent me to deliver some supplies," She explained.   
  
"That must pay well," He said as he removed a fried panel and began to mess with the wires inside.   
  
"You bet," She agreed, rubbing a smudge of grease from her nose. "It doesn't hurt that I'm employed by Lando Calrissian."   
  
"Yeah, I'm sure it doesn't," Brodey snorted. "I've heard he's quite the businessman."   
  
"He sure is. I can't even tell you how fortunate I am to be working for the guy," She said as she plugged a sanding tool into her power pack.   
  
"Oh? Who fixed you up?" Brodey asked, smiling at her again.   
  
"I have my sources."   
  
"Should have seen that one coming," He said with a sneer. "What other jobs did you hold before this one?"   
  
"Oh, you know. The usual, dangerous, illegal kind," She chuckled, giving him that playful smile of hers.   
  
"Ah, I know what you mean," He replied.   
  
"I'm sure you do," She said darkly. "So, who do you work for?"   
  
"I worked for Nimba the Hutt for a while, smuggling spice and other illegal goods," He answered gravely. "But, despite what you may think, I didn't get my ship from him."   
  
"Understood," She said simply. "What do you do now for kicks?"   
  
"I'm a Jedi Knight, apprenticed to Jedi Master Kyp Durron."   
  
"Durron, eh?" She murmured, biting her lower lip as if deep in thought. "I think I met the guy once. He, the Solo kids and their friends helped me clear up a few things on my home world."   
  
"You know the Solo kids?" He exclaimed, amused at the thought that he might have stumbled across an old friend of Jaina's.   
  
"Oh yeah, we go way back," She acknowledged.   
  
"I'm in a squadron with one of them."   
  
"Must be Jaina," Anja laughed. "She always did love to fly. What's all that stuff I hear about her being a goddess?"   
  
"Oh, that. It's just some crazy charade we need to keep up," Brodey shrugged, and then winked at her. "You know, top secret plans and all."   
  
"Oh, I see how it is!" She giggled, shoving him a bit as she walked around him to the other side.

"I can't tell you that much about it!" He insisted. "It's for security reasons."   
  
"Nyeh, it's for security reasons!" She said mockingly, sticking her tongue out at him. Brodey responded similarly, extracting yet another round of giggling from her.   
  
"I don't think I've ever met anybody as cheeky as you," He confessed. "Well, except for my younger brother. He was quite a character."   
  
"Where is he now?" She asked, cocking her head to the side inquisitively. She had a certain way of saying things so that every word was compelling, and it took a second for her words to register in Brodey's mind.   
  
"Dead, unfortunately," Brodey muttered, hanging his head a little in reflection. "Been dead for almost three years now. Or so I thought."   
  
"Really? You found him again?" She asked enthusiastically.   
  
"It's a really complicated and drawn-out story," Brodey said. "I'd rather not get into it, if it's all the same with you."   
  
"Suit yourself," She responded, flipping the long hair that was getting in her way as she worked back across her bare shoulders. "Your nose is looking a lot better, by the way. Is that some sort of jedi healing that you're doing?"   
  
"Yeah, kind of," He said. "I'm not exactly the best healer in my family. My father could have healed this in a little under a minute."   
  
"Hey, if you can heal anything then I'm impressed," Anja chuckled. "Speaking of impressed, you're quite a looker."   
  
"Are you flirting with me, Anja Gallandro?" He asked and then laughed at the innocent face she was giving him.   
  
"Only if you want to think about it in that sense," She said with a sly smile, casting him a seductive wink. "Something tells me you do."   
  
"Well, I've only known you for about two standard hours, and already you're the most fun person to flirt with that I've ever come across."   
  
"Good," She cooed, stroking her fingers down his sweaty bare back. Brodey shivered involuntarily from her touch, turning to face her with a wicked glint in his eyes.   
  
"You do realize you're going to pay for that," He said coyly as he approached her at a rapid pace. Anja laughed, backing up as he came closer and grabbed both of her wrists. He was just about to reach out and tickle her when her legs suddenly gave way, sending them both into a huge puddle of engine oil from the spilled bucket she'd just tripped over.   
  
"Ahhhh!!!" She shrieked, scooping up a handful of the oil and flinging it at Brodey. He laughed as she tried to pin him to the ground and drench him in the oil. She finally collapsed next to him, laughing uncontrollably. He pushed himself up onto one elbow, gazing absorbedly at her as he gently brushed a few strands of matted-down hair off of her face.   
  
"Would you two just shut the hell up?" Corran cursed, poking his head around the ship to look scornfully at the two of them. "You're causing quite a racket and it's starting to upset people."   
  
"Oh, bugger off Corran!" Brodey snapped back. "Nobody else is complaining besides you, and you know it!"   
  
The jedi knight's face turned even sourer, if that was possible, and he left in a huff, leaving the two of them to lie gasping on the floor.   
  
"I don't know what that guy's problem is," Brodey muttered, "But he's always been that way to me. It's sort of like he took one look at me, saw I was bad news, and then never looked again."   
  
"Yeah, some people are like that," She said, picking herself up off the ground and extending him a hand. "I'm not one of them. I happen to find people who think they're the most righteous person in the galaxy completely nauseating."   
  
"You like the scoundrels, eh?" He snickered, giving her a slight jab with his elbow.   
  
"What do you think?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.   
  
"I think we need to find somewhere to get cleaned up," He declared. "I know just the place."   
  
"You're not taking me back to see Jaina, are you?" She asked suspiciously as he led her back to the upper decks of Eclipse.   
  
"Of course I am!" He cried, beaming widely at her. "Did you think I'd let you get away without saying hello to an old friend? Besides, I feel like I'm entitled to do laundry at her place. Don't ask, just trust me on this one."   
  
"All right," She conceded, looking flustered as they continued along at his quick pace.   
  
"Here we are," Brodey said, pushing the buzzer to Jaina's suite repeatedly.   
  
"Who is it?" Jaina's voice asked through the speaker.   
  
"It's just me," Brodey replied. "You'll never guess who the cat dragged in."   
  
"Cat, I'd really love to know who you dragged in, but I'm kind of occupied at the moment."   
  
"Jaina, dear, I think you need to let me in anyway. After the havoc my clothes have been through, all on your behalf, you owe me a few loads of laundry," Brodey said in a sing-song voice.   
  
A few choice Corellian curse words came out of the speaker, followed by the loud stomp of footsteps rushing angrily toward the door. Jaina answered the door, wearing only her bathrobe, and her jaw nearly dropped to the floor in shock.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	9. Interruptions

"Anja!" She cried as she wrapped her arms around the young woman, holding back a bit when she realized how covered in grime she was. After eyeing Brodey her curiosity reached new heights. "Did you two go for a swim in a garbage compactor or something?"   
  
"No, we just rolled around in some grease for a bit. Can we come in?" Brodey asked, becoming impatient.   
  
"She can," Jaina replied, letting Anja in but closing the door on Brodey as he entered. "I'm not so sure about you, Narundi."   
  
"Cute, now let me in!" He hissed. Jaina gave him a sly smile and complied.   
  
"Nice place you got here," Anja commented, spinning around in the center of the room to admire it. "Did we come at a bad time? You look like you just got out of the shower."   
  
"No, I wasn't in the shower," Jaina admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I was just napping."   
  
_'Sure. NAPPING,'_ He taunted while giving her a small but meaningful smile.   
  
_'Don't make me hurt you, Narundi,'_ She thought back, narrowing her eyes at him.   
  
"Yeah, you look absolutely exhausted," Anja observed, frowning slightly at her friend's disheveled appearance.   
  
"Rough night," Jaina muttered quickly, trying to avoid a discussion about her previous folly.   
  
"So, your goddessness, can I get a shower?" Brodey butted in while rubbing his hands together eagerly.   
  
"I never promised you a shower, mortal," She said, a fiendish look crossing her face. "Just laundry."   
  
"Oh, come on," Brodey pleaded, giving her his best impression of sweet and innocent.   
  
"All right, but I'll only allow it because I owe you."   
  
"Thanks Solo," He answered, smiling genuinely at her. He then looked to Anja and gestured toward the fresher. "Ladies first."   
  
"Why thank you Brodey," Anja said sweetly, brushing wittingly against him as she walked past and into the fresher. His eyes followed her lazily as she walked and stayed fixated on her until she closed the door behind her.   
  
"What's going on there, Brodey?" Jaina asked suggestively, poking him in the ribs and jarring him out of his reverie. "Is something up between you and Anja?"   
  
"You're imagining things, Jay," He laughed, flashing a poodoo-eating grin. "Just imagining things."   
  
"Hitting on even more young women, Narundi?" Jag asked crossly. The colonel had emerged from Jaina's bedroom and was still buttoning up the last few buttons on his shirt. From the ripples he was getting through the force, Brodey could sense Jag's severe dislike of him washing over him with almost the same strength as Jaina's alcohol perfume on the previous night. This dislike was redoubled since Brodey had obviously interrupted something important.   
  
"Watch it, Fel," Brodey warned. "Kyp isn't here to stop me from doing anything rash."   
  
"No, but I am," Jaina said sternly, the no-nonsense tone that often accompanied the voice of her mother creeping into her voice. "I'll hurt you both if you try and pull anything."   
  
Jag narrowed his eyes, sending one last warning to Brodey, who promptly smiled.   
  
"We weren't going to pull anything!" He exclaimed innocently. "We were just joking around, right Jag?"   
  
Jagged Fel just stared at him and scowled.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	10. Gossip and a Date

"That's good, because I don't want to see any more injuries around here," She stated with a lengthy sigh as she collapsed onto the couch. "Why can't you boys just get along?"   
  
"We are getting along!" Brodey cried jovially, clapping a filthy hand on the shoulder of Jag's clean white shirt. "Wouldn't you agree?"   
  
"DON'T touch me," Jag growled as he shoved Brodey's hand away and went to go sit by Jaina. Brodey couldn't help smiling evilly at him when he back was turned, drawing a glare from Jaina.   
  
"So, Brodey," She started, trying to change the subject. "I think there's something you have yet to tell me."   
  
"What, that your boyfriend is a twit?" He joked, laughing as Jaina had to restrain a fuming Jag. "I'm just kidding!"   
  
"No, I want to know what's really going on with you and Anja," She stated, ignoring his previous comment entirely.   
  
"You're asking the wrong person, because I haven't a clue," He shrugged. "I wouldn't know anything about when a girl likes you, never having had a girlfriend myself."   
  
"What do you think of her?" Jaina asked, pressing on.   
  
"Well, I think," He began and then paused for a second. "I think she's got to be the most attractive woman I've ever met. I'm not just talking about looks either. The whole package is great."   
  
"That's awesome! I'm happy for you Brodey," Jaina said while smiling proudly at him.   
  
"You know what? I'm happy too," Jag proclaimed, piping up. "You might learn a few things from being in a relationship."   
  
"Wow, no insults this time, Fel?" Brodey questioned, tilting his head to the side a bit. "I'm impressed."   
  
"I don't sink to your level all that often, Narundi," Jag said evenly.   
  
"Too bad for you," Brodey remarked, looking darkly at Jag. "You might learn a few things from being a scoundrel."

"He's right, you know," Said a smooth voice. Brodey turned around to find the fresher door wide open with steam billowing out into the hallway in thick sheets. In the middle of it all stood Anja, wrapped in only a small white towel. Another towel was perched atop her head and held up her long cinnamon hair. She walked right up to Brodey, smiling knowingly, and caressed his cheek. "Everybody needs a little scoundrel in them."   
  
"Anja, would you like a robe or some clothes to wear while you wait for yours to be cleaned?" Jaina offered.   
  
"No thank you, I'm fine," Anja sighed, plunking down onto the couch even though her outfit left little to the imagination. Brodey silently admired her brazen nature, not to mention her long, slim legs.   
  
"Brodey!" Jaina growled sternly, pinching his jaw roughly between the thumb and forefinger of just one hand. "Anja just told you to shower! Now stop staring at her and get in there!"   
  
_'You're in an awfully big hurry to get rid of me, aren't you?'_ He teased as he entered the warm, moist fresher.   
  
_'Aren't I always?'_ She quipped. _'You sometimes overstay your welcome.'_   
  
_'Remember, Solo. You owe me.'_   
  
  
Brodey exited the fresher, fiercely rubbing a towel over his straw-colored hair in an attempt to dry it. He'd spent the past half of a standard hour in the shower, contemplating his dream and the dramatic change of luck he'd practically tripped across. He only wore a pair of boxers that had managed to escape the clothing massacre and he secretly hoped that Anja would find him equally impressive as he found her. When he peered out from behind the towel to find Kyp sitting there in dress robes Brodey felt a twinge of disappointment.   
  
"You just missed them," He said with a sneer. "Your clothes are done, but I don't think you'll want to wear those tonight."   
  
"Tonight?" Brodey asked curiously as he grabbed his neatly-folded pile of clothes from the cleaning droid. "What's going on tonight?"   
  
"It appears that we're all going out to dinner," Kyp explained. "Your new friend has asked you out on a date, if you're willing to accept her offer."   
  
"So let me get this straight," Brodey cried excitedly. "Anja Gallandro, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, asked me out! A living, breathing female asked ME out on a date!"   
  
"I take it that you're coming," Kyp muttered, giving his apprentice a smirk.   
  
"You bet I am! I have to get ready. I have to make sure that everything's perfect," Brodey said, talking rapidly as he fidgeted around through his stuff. "I have just enough credits to buy her a nice first-class meal at the mess hall."   
  
"We're not going to the mess hall."   
  
"Where are we going then?" Brodey asked gravely. "Don't tell me we're heading into Vong space."   
  
"Not exactly," Kyp said, bringing up a map of the galaxy on Jaina's comm screen. "I know a place that the Yuuzhan Vong haven't touched yet. I told Jaina about it when she asked me about places where we all could go out tonight. It was Anja's idea, of course."   
  
"I'm going to need a lot more credits than this," Brodey mumbled, shaking his head sadly. "I'm also going to probably need my lightsaber."   
  
"I don't know if I trust you with that when you're in close proximity to Fel," Kyp warned.   
  
"Relax, I'm not going to use it on him," Brodey sighed in annoyance. "I don't need any more drunken binges from Jaina. Not for the rest of this week."   
  
"Good. We have a reservation for nineteen-hundred hour. The ladies are out dress-shopping, since Anja said she was lacking something to wear. I personally believe it was just an excuse to gossip."   
  
"You're probably right, knowing them!" Brodey asserted as he gathered up his things and headed for the door. "I have to get ready as well. Probably unpack some of my old crown-prince clothes. Those will probably impress her, if I still fit into them."   
  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" The jedi master asked, clearing his throat.   
  
Brodey looked down at his near-nakedness and blushed slightly, giving Kyp a sheepish grin.   
  
"I should do something about that, shouldn't I?"

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	11. More Gossip

"What do you think about this one?" Anja asked, stepping out of the dressing room and twirling around in a long sky blue dress. The two had traveled to a near-by world in order to shop, taking a reluctant Jag with them. Jaina had insisted that there would be something he would find interesting in the shopping district of Binsaar. So far all the young man had done was skulk around behind them, serve as their package carrier, and listen to their never-ending gossip.   
  
"Too long," Jaina observed. "You're going to want something you can dance all night in."   
  
"Well, that definitely leaves this one out!" Anja confirmed and then headed back inside to change.   
  
"So, you only met Brodey a couple of hours ago and already you're asking him out. What made you do such a thing?" Jaina gushed, squeezing her friend for information.   
  
"Come on honey, you've got eyes," Anja scolded. "You've seen just how cute he is."   
  
"I hope that's not the only reason you're going out with him," Jaina retorted, placing her hands on her hips even though Anja couldn't see them through the dressing room door.   
  
"Of course not!" Anja cried excitedly. "Jaina, everything about him just clicked with me! He's just so totally perfect! He's sweet, considerate, funny, handsome, got a really sexy body, and I bet he'd be really great in -- "   
  
"That's enough!" Jag protested. "I don't need to hear anything of that sort, if you don't mind."   
  
Anja burst out of the dressing room smiling mischievously at Jaina, who found her comments more than just mildly amusing. Jaina was biting her lip, trying to hold back her laughter at Jag's response. She immediately lost the urge to laugh when she noticed what Anja was wearing.   
  
"This is the one, isn't it?" Anja asked knowingly. All Jaina could manage was a slow nod as she admired the airy, almost see-through iridescent copper dress. The fabric itself looked bejeweled as the light danced off of it, and it flowed gracefully behind Anja as she turned around. Even Jag had looked up from staring at the same spot on the floor and was admiring it.   
  
"You need to get that one!" Jaina squealed happily, a child-like excitement in her eyes.   
  
"What about you, hon?" Jag asked. "Aren't you going to buy something for tonight?"   
  
"Sweetheart, I've got an entire wardrobe full of dresses that you haven't even seen before," Jaina drawled, walking over to him and sliding her arms around him. "You'll just have to trust me."   
  
"Oh, I trust you, all right," Jag muttered, leaning down to kiss her sweetly. "I'm just not sure I like the idea of you wearing something I've never seen before in front of two grown men."   
  
"Quit acting like my father!" Jaina yelled, smacking him good-naturedly on the arm. "You have nothing to worry about from those two!"   
  
"She's right, Jag," Anja stated with a silky voice. "Once Brodey sees me in this dress his eyes will be glued to me for the rest of the evening."   
  
"I guess so," Jag said softly, relaxing a little. "That still leaves Kyp."   
  
"No it doesn't," Jaina laughed as she walked up to the cashier behind Anja. "Something tells me he can take care of himself."

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	12. Departure

Kyp Durron raised his head abruptly from his datapad as the buzzer to Jaina's door went off. He sensed an eager presence waiting outside and rolled his eyes as he got up with a groan. Kyp pushed the button to open the door for Brodey and he was immediately bombarded with noisy chatter from the excited youth.   
  
"Everything is all set up," Brodey said, grinning proudly at his master. "I got her some flowers, chocolates, and I even fixed up the inside of my ship. You know, just in case."   
  
"Since when are we taking your ship?" Kyp challenged, crossing his arms in front of his chest.   
  
"Well, it's your choice, but I would think you'd want to travel in one of the fastest ships in the galaxy. You never know when you might need that extra speed," Brodey clarified.   
  
"I see. Now tell me again how something is supposed to go on between you and Anja with the rest of us in there with you?" Kyp teased, smiling dryly.   
  
"It is equipped with an escape pod," Brodey said with a wink. "If it bothers you so much then you don't have to stick around."   
  
"I intend to stick around. I want to watch you screw this up," Kyp laughed.   
  
"Very funny," Brodey muttered. "So, what do you think of the outfit?"   
  
"It looks like something a prince might wear," Kyp admitted. Brodey's clothing looked like it had cost quite a bit indeed. The cape was made from intricately woven strands of gold, silver, and electric blue, and it shimmered behind him as he walked. The designs on his tunic were even more impressive and it dawned on Kyp that the symbols actually told the history of Brodey's people. The electric blue was also present in the tunic as well as in a stripe down the side of Brodey's pant legs. Kyp soon found that the color, which was the most prominent one in the entire outfit, was causing eye strain. "The blue is a little too much, though."   
  
"Not at all," Brodey said, his bright blue eyes twinkling slightly. "Wait until you see it inside the club. It was specifically designed to be worn while clubbing."   
  
"I'm sure Anja is going to be most impressed by a date that glows blue," Kyp said snidely.   
  
"I'm hoping to impress her with more than just my clothes," Brodey laughed, studying the condition of his smile in a mirror on the wall.   
  
"I'm sure Anja will be just as impressed by your enormous ego."   
  
"You're just jealous, Durron," Brodey snapped back. "A beautiful young lady asked me out and I'm going to make this the best night of her life."   
  
"That's always good to hear," Called a voice from behind him. Anja had just entered, along with Jaina and Jag, and she was leaning up against the wall at the entrance to the living room. Brodey marveled at her new outfit and at the seductive way the ringlets of her newly-styled hair fell lazily against her chest. Despite his best efforts he found he couldn't ignore how low-cut the dress was, or that it was nearly translucent. Anja Gallandro had great power over him. She had effectively reduced him to mush. He continued staring at her as she stealthily approached him and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
  
"I like the blue," She whispered softly in his ear while running her fingers along the collar of his tunic. "It goes well with your eyes."   
  
"I think it looks great with your dress," He breathed, still feeling like someone had punched him in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him.   
  
"You think?" She asked, her lips drawing ever closer to his.   
  
"Guys!" Jaina yelled loudly, jarring the two of them apart. "We need to hurry if we're going to get there on time!"   
  
"Come on," Anja said with a smile as she took a discouraged-looking Brodey by the hand and led him out the door.   
  
_'Gods help me,'_ Thought Brodey to himself. _'I AM going to kiss this woman before this night is over!'_   
  
_'Patience, my young apprentice,'_ Kyp mocked.   
  
_'Durron, for the last time. STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!'_

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	13. Dinner and Clubbing

The five enjoyed dinner in an upscale restaurant located in a quaint village on a planet bordering the Unknown Regions. In all actuality just four of them enjoyed their dinner. Brodey was way too captivated by his date to give a second thought to what he had just eaten. It was the most delicious thing he'd tasted in the past three years of living on his own, yet she seemed to be ten times as succulent.   
  
They chatted afterward over hot caffe, talking about recent adventures and life during the Vong threat. Jaina finally disclosed the story of her drinking, which led to many other stories of drinking experiences from Anja and Brodey alike. The two kept on trying to good-naturedly one-up each other while the others looked on and laughed at their horrendous tales.   
Jag and Brodey traded insults only a few times during the meal but their antics gave rise to a new catch phrase for Kyp Durron.   
  
"I've got a blaster pointed at you under the table," Kyp warned. "You don't want me to shoot you."   
  
"Sorry," Mumbled Jag and Brodey at the same time.   
  
"Are you guys just about ready to pay and go dancing?" Anja asked eagerly.   
  
"You bet we are!" Brodey said, smiling at his date as he put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close.   
  
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Jaina cried happily, showing more color in her face than she had all day.   
  
  
"So, where am I headed?" Brodey asked as he got behind the controls of his ship.   
  
"It's a small club called Sorte Ma," Jaina said while peeking over his shoulder out the viewport. "I know where it is, if you want me to take us there."   
  
"You might as well sit down now, Solo, because you're not flying this ship," Brodey scolded her with a grin.   
  
"You're no fun!" She scowled, taking her seat next to Jag and instantly forgetting the entire argument.   
  
Brodey tried to concentrate on flying but his thoughts were only of Anja. She seemed to realize the effect she had on him by now and she reached out to gently touch his arm, smiling as he startled a bit.   
  
"Are we getting close?" She asked softly.   
  
"I don't know. I already told Kyp that I don't know squat about relationships," Brodey joked.   
  
"I was talking about the club, silly," Anja laughed, her voice ringing out sweetly.   
  
"I know," He replied, glancing over to look into her eyes.   
  
"Eyes on the sky, nerf-herder," Crowed Jaina from the back and Brodey felt a firm kick on the back of his pilot's seat. He ignored it, focusing instead on landing the _Stingray_ next to the nightspot.   
  
"We're here," Brodey sighed. "Now you can stop insulting my piloting abilities."   
  
"Never gonna see that happen, flyboy," Jaina retorted as she followed Jag down the landing ramp.   
  
"Ignore her," Anja winked, taking hold of Brodey's arm.   
  
"With you here I have no worries about how I'm going to accomplish that," He replied as he led her inside. Kyp was the last one to exit, following closely behind.   
  
"Wow!" Jaina yelled over the din of the music. "I've never seen a club this packed before!"   
  
"You've obviously never been in a good club!" Brodey shouted back. He felt a gentle hand travel across his chest and he looked down to see Anja admiring the glowing blue in his clothing.   
  
"See Kyp, I told you she'd like the blue," He hollered, turning his head in Kyp's direction, but the jedi master wasn't where he'd been a second ago. On a quick scan of the surrounding area Brodey determined that Kyp was nowhere to be found.   
  
_'He can take care of himself,'_ Brodey thought as he went with Anja toward the dance floor.

The floor was filled with many brightly dressed youngsters. All were writhing to the booming bass, trying to steal a moment of levity during these dire times. Brodey noted the similarities of the music to the club music back home, and a brief wave of nostalgia came over him. It quickly passed as Anja wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her body against his. He touched foreheads with her, wondering to himself how this woman could have so much power over him without the force. She smiled roguishly at him as she grabbed his hand and twirled around under his arm.   
  
"Show me what you got, flyboy," She challenged.   
  
Brodey led her into a succession of difficult dance moves before she could say another word. Some of the steps were ones he'd picked up as a club kid, but most were from his formal dance training. He found himself quite grateful for this training since she obviously knew what she was doing. She grinned back at him, her eyes lighting up happily with surprise at his capability as a dancer.   
  
"You're phenomenal!" She cried over the thundering music. "Where did you learn to dance like that?"   
  
"Charm school!" He yelled back and was rewarded with a small smack on the chest. Brodey laughed and yanked her closer to him, until their noses were almost touching.   
  
"Are you going to kiss me, or are you going to let somebody interrupt us again?" Anja asked, softly touching her finger to his lips.   
  
Brodey bent down and claimed her lips with his own. He kissed her hungrily, drinking from her flushed lips like they were the elixir of life. It was the first real kiss that he'd ever shared with a woman and she made him dizzy with passion.   
  
_'Maybe you just need to come up for air every once in a while,'_ Kyp suggested. Brodey broke free from this kiss long enough to spot Kyp over by the bar. The jedi master met eyes with him for only a second and then he turned back to the conversation he was having with a young woman in multi-colored clothes. From the looks of their body language Brodey observed that Kyp was also getting somewhere that evening.   
  
_'Thanks for the advice, Durron,'_ Brodey shot back and then continued on with more important matters. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Jaina and Jag, dancing together at a pace slower than the music, lost in each other's eyes. For once in his life Brodey knew exactly how they felt, and he allowed himself to relax and enjoy this carefree night. There would always be another battle to fight, but living to see the next battle was pointless if you didn't actually live.   
  
It was there, among the melodious, pounding, world-shattering music, that Brodey felt the most alive. He hadn't felt this way in years.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	14. UhOh

The two continued to alternate between dancing and kissing for the next two standard hours, occasionally stopping long enough to become aware of their surroundings. Brodey looked up from kissing her earlobe to see that Jaina and Jag were now seated at a table. Jaina rested contentedly on his lap, her eyes closed with her head on his shoulder. Jag wrapped his arms lovingly around her, looking down at her with adoration as he kissed her on the crown of her head.   
  
"I think it may be about time for us to leave," Brodey said, kissing Anja softly on the cheek. She lifted her head from its place on his shoulder and gazed seductively into his eyes. He reached out and wiped the sweat that was beading up on her forehead, leaning down to kiss her gently on the temple. She was even more attractive under the flashing colored lights, with flushed cheeks and sweat dripping down her face and neck. Her skin was glistening, her eyes were sparkling, and her kisses flooded him with emotions that were indescribable.   
  
_'And she thinks you're propositioning her,'_ He thought, suddenly realizing that he wouldn't actually mind going against his cultural mandate and sleeping with her before marriage. The thought of his relatives still being alive and that Jaina needed to get home and go to sleep kept him from acting on his impulses.   
  
"I was talking about how Jaina needs to get home and rest," He whispered into her ear. She looked at him sadly for an instant, discontent shining from her dark almond-shaped eyes, but she simply sighed and agreed.   
  
Brodey led her through the crowd to where Kyp had been sitting and he found his master holding the same girl he'd seen Kyp with an hour ago in a passionate embrace. They were so caught up in kissing each other that Brodey feared they might swallow each other's heads. Kyp broke off the kiss just long enough to look tellingly over at Brodey, give him a thumbs-up, and quickly get up to escort the young woman out the door.   
  
"Looks like Kyp is going to have a fun night," Anja laughed as she stroked a hand up Brodey's back, making him shiver slightly. "Sounds like he's got the right idea."   
  
"You've only just met me!" Brodey exclaimed as he saw Anja's suggestive grin. He desperately wished he wasn't aching to spend the night with her, but it was becoming more apparent with each passing minute. His rational mind had ceased to work properly. Anja Gallandro had succeeded in reducing him to a love-sick blob of goo.   
  
"Ah, you're one of those good boys!" She laughed, pouting slightly. "Don't worry Brodey, I can corrupt you. Just you wait."   
  
_'I can't wait,'_ He thought truthfully, hoping against hope that this spunky young woman in her late twenties was his perfect match.   
  
"Brodey, I think it's time to get out of here," Jaina said sleepily, stifling a yawn. Brodey met eyes with Jag, who looked back with less severity. Perhaps he'd determined that Brodey wasn't looking to date Jaina after all, or perhaps he was just tired. Brodey was just glad that he didn't have to worry about another confrontation. He simply nodded to Jag, confirming their departure.   
  
"That was nice," Anja commented once they reached the lot. Her shawl was draped lazily over her elbows since she was way too hot to wear it. Brodey could feel the cool breeze evaporate the sweat off of his face and neck and play with his hair. The night was peaceful and clear and when Brodey glanced up he saw the lights from thousands of tiny planets and stars.   
  
"It definitely was," Brodey agreed with a sigh of contentment, but something just didn't feel quite right to him.   
  
"Don't even move a muscle, jedi," Said a threatening voice from behind. Brodey recognized the voice and presence all too late as he sensed a blaster barrel being pointed directly at his head.   
  
He turned around to face the familiar Peace Brigade officer with a personal vendetta and about fifteen to twenty Vong warriors, amphistaffs in strike position.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	15. The Battle

"Thanto Rodin," Brodey confirmed grimly, assessing the situation. "It's a pleasure meeting up with you again."   
  
"The pleasure will all be mine, Narundi. I'm going to enjoy killing you," Thanto said, sneering at Brodey over the top of his blaster. "Maybe the bounty on your head will be enough for me to get a new prosthetic leg."   
  
"Bounty?" Jaina questioned, her eyes suddenly going wide. "You weren't telling the truth last night, were you?"   
  
"Now is not the time to discuss this," Brodey whispered harshly as all four stood back to back, weapons out and ready. "You're going to have to look somewhere else for those credits, Rodin."   
  
"We'll see about that," Thanto hissed back and then turned to the warriors. "Take the jedi. He will make a fitting gift for Warmaster Tsavong Lah."   
  
Brodey ignited his dual bladed saber, the aqua glow illuminating a smirk on his face. He couldn't believe that Thanto, in his ignorance, had failed to notice that Yun Harla herself was standing with them. Nevertheless, Brodey vowed to defend her as best he could.   
  
_'Man, Kyp. You sure picked a horrible time to split,'_ He thought to himself as the warriors closed in on them. He heard a snap-hiss behind him and saw that the violet glow from Jaina's blade had joined his own. Brodey felt a sharp pain in his arm and turned his head slightly to look at Anja. She was trying to be brave, holding her blaster up and aiming it at the Vong, but the fear in her eyes and her fingernails digging mercilessly into his arm said otherwise. Fear turned into full-blown terror as the warriors attacked them all at once.   
  
Brodey's first thoughts were to take on as many of the warriors as he could on his own. Killing a Vong was difficult, even for a jedi with a lightsaber, and Brodey knew that he, as a fully-trained jedi warrior, would stand a much better chance against them. Luckily for him they all seemed to want to kill him the most.   
  
He moved quickly, wading into the cluster of warriors with his lightsaber and sweeping his dual blade around to keep them a good distance away. Moving with animal instincts and the T'naa'lichi finesse, Brodey fought not with the force but with his knowledge of dueling and battle, only using the force to recharge himself and conserve his energy. He was relieved when warriors started to fall around him, the whooping and hollering from Jag and Anja telling him that they were succeeding in helping him out. It wasn't long before Jaina had worked her way to his side, slicing the head off of one Yuuzhan Vong and getting sprayed by the dark blood. She sputtered as some of it entered her mouth, gagging at the vile taste. He gasped as a warrior lifted an amphistaff over the distracted young woman's head, going in for the kill.   
  
With only seconds to act, Brodey lunged at the warrior and deflected the blow that would have cleaved Jaina right in half. The next thing, the only thing, he knew was the unfathomable pain that pierced through his back and the horrified cry that came from Jaina. The short disruption of his battle concentration had cost him greatly. He cursed loudly in N'aanwar as he pulled a dripping red hand away from clutching his back. The pain was unbearable, yet he continued fighting, trying to ignore the fact that he might have been fatally wounded.   
  
"Brodey!" Anja shrieked, tears running down her cheeks. Brodey could see her try and run to him through his blurred vision, but Jag grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back. "Let me help him! Let go!"   
  
"You're not going to help him by running in there and getting yourself killed!" Jag cried as he picked off another warrior with a blaster bolt. "Continue firing!"   
  
"How are you holding up over there, Brodey?" Jaina asked with concern as she saw him spit blood onto the ground.   
  
"Fine," He lied, straining to see his opponents through his growing tunnel vision. Despite the use of the force he was growing incredibly dizzy, but he fought back unconsciousness. He was determined to win this fight. He would live, for Anja's sake.   
  
Brodey brought down another opponent with a scissor kick to the legs, plunging his lightsaber straight through the Vong's neck. With a final blaster shot the last warrior fell, leaving only the four of them and Rodin.   
  
"Now you've got yourself a little problem, Rodin," Brodey gasped, his blood spilling freely onto the ground from the rapid beating of his heart. He was coming dangerously close to blacking out but he wouldn't allow himself to fall to scum like Thanto. "You don't stand a chance against two fully-trained jedi. What are you going to do now?"   
  
"I don't think you're capable of even walking the distance to kill me, Narundi," Thanto taunted, pointing his blaster right between Brodey's eyes.   
  
With the last bit of energy he could muster, Brodey reached out with the force to bend the barrel of the blaster, rendering it useless. He collapsed quickly and silently, not hearing the cries of his friends or the sound of Jaina's lightsaber tearing through Thanto's mid section. He simply fell, plunging deeper into darkness.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	16. Don Juan Durron

Kyp Durron pushed the young woman against the wall outside their sleazy motel room, kissing her fiercely. He had no clue what her name was; they had skipped that part and went straight to the kissing. All he knew was that, so far, their night had been perfect and he was about to make it even more perfect.   
  
"Come here, sexy," She moaned, pulling him into the room and onto the bed. He watched her with amusement as she tore at his clothing, taking it off quickly. Her dress was much easier to strip off and Kyp removed it with very little effort, using the force.   
  
_'Five long months without any female contact,'_ Kyp mused while kissing her shoulders and collarbone ardently. _'I am going to enjoy this.'_   
  
Almost on perfect cue, Kyp heard his apprentice's call for help ring painfully through his head. A small vision filled his head, one of Brodey and the other three surrounded by a multitude of Yuuzhan Vong warriors.   
  
Kyp swore loudly, bolting upright in bed. Brodey couldn't have picked a worse time to be in dire need of his help.   
  
"What is it?" The young woman cried. "Did I do something wrong?"   
  
"You did nothing wrong," Kyp groaned as he raced around the room, struggling to retrieve all his clothes and think clearly when his mind was clouded with lust. "I just have to go bail my apprentice out of a deadly situation."   
  
"Liar!" She spat at him angrily as he shoved enough credits to cover the room into her hand and dashed out the door. "Screw you, you lousy jerk!"   
  
Kyp had more important things to think about as he raced down the street back to the club. The cries for help were becoming more persistent in his head and he could sense the anxiety coming from the group as a whole. Some emitted it more than others, but a sense of fear was present in each of them.   
  
He was almost halfway there when he felt a stab of pain hit him like a tidal wave through the force. It crippled him for a second, causing him to forgo running in favor of walking for a few strides. At first he thought it was Jaina who was injured, given the nature of their bond as partners, but when her fearful scream echoed through his mind he knew she wasn't the wounded one.   
  
_'Kyp, help me!'_ Brodey cried out in sheer torment and Kyp could feel his apprentice's life force beginning to fade. If he couldn't make it there soon there was no telling whether Brodey would survive, so Kyp increased his speed to a full-out sprint. The planet's thin atmosphere burned in his lungs as he gulped it in, but nothing, not even an entire legion of Vong, could keep him away from his friends.   
  
Kyp arrived a few moments too late, looking across the sea of carnage to see the others rushing to his fallen apprentice's side. Jaina was wailing incoherently, cradling the young jedi's head in her arms and pressing her hand against his wound. Anja wasn't doing that much better. The young woman sobbed, holding Brodey's blood-covered hand up against her cheek and kissing it. Jag was assisting Jaina in trying to stop the bleeding, pressing a piece of cloth that he tore from his jacket against the exit wound in Brodey's stomach.   
  
"Guys, we need to get him out of here and back to Eclipse!" Kyp yelled as he joined them at Brodey's side. Fire burned in Jaina's brown eyes as she was overcome with anger, all directed at him.   
  
"Durron, you Sith-spitting sorry excuse for a human being, he's going to die before we even get there!" She screamed, shoving him backward and away from Brodey. "Where the hell were you when all of this was happening?"   
  
"What difference does it make, Jaina?" Kyp said in a calmer voice. "I came as soon as I sensed danger."   
  
"Yeah, well you didn't come soon enough," She pouted, tears welling up in her eyes once again.   
  
"Listen to me. He has a much greater chance of survival if we take him back. If we stay here he's going to die. It's as simple as that," Kyp explained, scooping up Brodey's limp body and rushing him onboard. "You and I can perform healing techniques on him and administer a few bacta treatments before he even gets there."   
  
"I hope you're right, Kyp," She whimpered as she sat down behind the controls. "I don't know what I'd do if we lost him."   
  
"We're not going to lose him," Kyp said softly. "This kid has more fight in him than a wild rancor. He'll pull through."

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	17. Pulling Through

"Don't just stand there, start helping him!" Anja cried, rushing over to the bunk where Kyp placed Brodey's prostrated form. The woman ran her tiny hands through his matted-down blond hair and whispered encouraging words into his ear. Kyp could sense her pain like a beacon shining across the ocean in the dead of night and he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.   
  
"You should go tell Jag to fly the ship. Tell Jaina that she's needed more back here," He said soberly, and Anja quickly complied.   
  
Kyp heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Jaina approaching cautiously. She seemed paralyzed with fear as she looked at Brodey lying there, and it occurred to Kyp that she must have seen her brother's body in a similar state. He walked slowly over to her, watching as the tears rolled down her face and she choked on silent sobs, and gently took hold of her shoulders.   
  
"He needs you right now. You can save him, Jaina," Kyp whispered as his green gaze drilled into her eyes.   
  
"I can't," She said in a tiny, high voice as more tears trickled down her cheeks.   
  
"Don't say that, Jaina!" Kyp hissed. "You can help him. He's not dead yet and you know it!"   
  
Jaina closed her eyes and bit her lip as she gave him a curt nod. She didn't say another word as they became one with him through the force, combining their life energies with his to salvage what little life he had left in him. Anja looked on in desperation, wishing there was something she could do to help Brodey through this ordeal. All they could do was support his life force until they reached the trained healers and bacta tanks on Eclipse.   
  
  
Brodey was blinded by a bright white light that had been present since the time of his collapse. He felt himself floating upward, soaring closer to this flare of light, and he wondered if this was what it was like to become one with the force.   
  
The light abruptly cleared and he found himself in the great hall of the Narundi palace back home. The decorations hadn't changed from his dream so he concluded it was still his wedding day. Everything was the same, from the decorations to the floral arrangements to the guests. Except that this time the picture was clearer. He could make out more of the guests in attendance. He could clearly see how beautiful a young woman his little sister had become. He could see the face of the woman sitting next to Jag.   
  
"Anja!" Brodey rasped, his purple lips moving slightly and with great difficulty. Kyp and Jaina jumped with shock and grinned at each other, both pleased that he was showing strong signs of life.   
  
"We're almost there, Brodey," Anja whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm here for you, sweetheart."

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


	18. Epilogue

Brodey woke to the sound of boots clicking on the plasteel tile floor outside his room and the soft hovering of stretchers going by. He slowly opened his eyes, surprised at how much they hurt from the light. Through the force he could sense that he wasn't alone in the room and he turned his stiff neck to look at his visitors.   
  
Anja and Jaina were both asleep at the side of his bed. The two girls were leaning against each other for support and Jaina snored loudly, her head lolling on Anja's shoulder.   
  
"You're awake!" Kyp cried, spilling his caffe on himself in shock as he entered the room. The two girls awoke quickly. A little too quickly, Brodey realized, as they accidentally butted heads with each other.   
  
"Sweetie, you're okay!" Anja gushed with delight, bounding up from her seat to pull Brodey into a warm embrace. He kissed her gently on the forehead and then moved down her nose to her waiting lips, his nostrils taking in her sweet scent. It felt like a million fireworks going off all at once and Brodey entertained the idea that he might just be falling in love.   
  
"Ewwwww, gross!" Jaina cried in protest. "I hope Jag and I aren't that nauseating to other people."   
  
"You're every bit as nauseating and more, Solo," Brodey grinned as Jaina gave him a small hug.   
  
"You're up," Jag observed, looking at Brodey with bright eyes and a small smile. The colonel had just entered, carrying a cup of caffe and a pastry. "We were worried you weren't going to pull through for a while."   
  
"Have you guys been here since I got here?" Brodey asked, casting a look of shock at all of the faces surrounding him. "How long have I been out?"   
  
"Just about three days," Kyp replied, sitting himself down in a hover chair at the side of Brodey's bed. "And we haven't left your side, except to get food."   
  
"That reminds me," Jaina muttered, looking intently at Jag's pastry. "I don't think I've eaten anything in about sixteen hours. Do you want to get something to eat, Anja?"   
  
The young woman nodded, giving Brodey a quick kiss before following Jaina out the door. Brodey heard their footsteps echo down the hall and get progressively softer.   
  
"Brodey," Jag said softly, clearing his throat a bit. "I can't even express my gratitude toward you for saving Jaina's life. When I saw she was about to be killed, and then you saved her and got hurt yourself," He paused, blinking a little more than usual. "Well, let me just say what you did was one of the most honorable things I've ever seen. I seriously owe you and I take back all that I said about you being a no-good scoundrel. Hopefully you can forgive me for being so boorish."   
  
Jag extended his hand to his former adversary and Brodey accepted, smiling at Jag as he shook his hand firmly.   
  
"No hard feelings, Fel," Brodey confirmed. "You just make sure that I don't have to save Jaina's life ever again."   
  
"I'll try not to," Jag muttered, jumping a bit when his comlink started beeping. "Fel here. Yes, Uncle, he's awake and going to be fine. Yes, I'll be right there."   
  
"The General needs your help?" Brodey asked.   
  
"Just for now," Jag said as he grabbed his jacket off of a chair in the corner. "I'll be back later to check up on you."   
  
"Guess that just leaves you and me, Durron," Brodey laughed after Jag had left.   
  
"I guess so," Kyp said, raising his eyebrows at his apprentice. "I wanted to talk to you about something anyway."   
  
"What's that?"   
  
"Well, while you were still on the ship and we were healing you I heard you call out Anja's name a couple of times. It looked like you were having some sort of dream so I wanted to know what that was all about," Kyp explained, pacing around Brodey's bed as he told the story.   
  
Brodey thought back to the dream he'd had, thought about Anja sitting next Jag and smiling proudly at him as he married some woman he still didn't know, and his face fell considerably.   
  
"Anja was the girl sitting on the other side of Jag," Brodey mumbled sadly. "She's not the one behind the veil."   
  
"Really," Kyp stated, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his chin. "Interesting. Do you think she was with Jag?"   
  
"I'm not sure," Brodey said, shaking his head as he grew more flustered. "All I know is that I wasn't marrying her."   
  
"Well," Kyp began. "Think about it this way. You're nineteen years old. You've got a little bit of time before you have to make any decisions that influence the rest of your life. A lot can happen in four years."   
  
"Yeah, I know," Brodey sighed. "I just got this feeling like I'm falling in love with her but I don't know if I should."   
  
"Just because you're not going to marry her?" Kyp asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest and raising an eyebrow at Brodey.   
  
"Well, it seems a bit pointless to me if it's not going to work out," Brodey muttered defiantly. "Why should I get involved when I know my heart is going to be broken?"   
  
"Look, you're a rookie so I'll let you in on a little secret," Kyp proclaimed, sitting back down in the chair beside Brodey's bed. "Sometimes the end result isn't what's important. What really matters in love is the journey that you go through and the learning experiences you have along the way."   
  
"You're right," Brodey said, nodding his head and smiling at his master. "And I'm sure Master Skywalker would have paid a lot of credits to hear you say that just now."   
  
"Smart ass," Kyp chuckled with a smirk.   
  
"So, how come you arrived so late?" Brodey taunted. "You weren't busy with anything, were you?"   
  
"Kid, if you want to see your twentieth birthday then I'd suggest another line of discussion," Kyp growled forebodingly.   
  
Brodey just laughed, feeling quite happy to still be alive.

** Return to Jaina's Hung-Over Morning main page**


End file.
